simplify, simplify, simplify----Henry David Thoreau
Monday's here, and in addition to being my first day back at work after a 4 day weekend (I'm exhausted! Those stupid 4 day weekends have a way of lulling you into complacency so that work smacks you --BAM-- right between the eyes when you get back.) it's also time to check in on the progress of SHIT SLING 2009! (ok, that was just an early working title, I really call it simplify in my head. And on this blog. From here on out. Promise.) It's also blue, in my head, as well. (So sooooothing)
ANYWAY....
I had some idea that I would weigh all the crap I was getting rid of so that on December 31, I could say: "I got rid of 3000 pounds of unwanted stuff this year." But I don't have a scale. And buying a scale would entail bringing more stuff INTO the house rather than out. That's counterproductive. I nixed that idea and just took a picture. My camera is really starting to suck. Maybe I need to get a new one. Wait, NO! (See, that's why I need to DO this! Focus! Simplify. (So soothing)
Jan 1: I started in the kitchen because that's just the perfect place to start. I needed to clean out the fridge anyway to make room for my healthy food I'm gonna exclusively eat this year. I threw out two bags of non recyclable trash from food containers and such.
Jan 2: Laundry day! 2 loads of laundry, 2 articles of clothing to donate. A pair of capri length sweatpants. Why the heck do I even own those? I'm too short for capri length anything. They look like high waters. And they're sweatpants! Then I eighty sixed a pair of brown cords. I have 4 pairs of brown cords. I don't need 4 pairs. Especially this pair --- high waisted and wide whale. What is this, 1985? Wow, the Goodwill is gonna jump for joy at my stylish castoffs.
Jan 3: Bottle returning day. I have all these saved plastic grocery bags around...in the kitchen, in the car, in the hall closet. I use them over and over again (you know, the reuse side of the triangle) until they are literally disgusting, dripping, ripped and mangled. As were the bags holding the bottles. I had to keep stopping and picking up the bottles that fell out of the bottom of the bag because it was too holey. But look! A bag recycling bin right next to the bottle machine. I think this little drop off will save my sanity. (and, yes, I use canvas bags now)
Jan 4: Chucked all the sponges in the house and replaced with others from the giant mountain of Costco sponges that resides under the sink.
Jan 5: Ok, other than bottles I can't do a whole lot of recycling here at the Garaje Mahal. K has a weird aversion to recycling. He thinks it's a government conspiracy or something. So when I want to recycle something other than bottles, I have to smuggle it into the bin at work. Which is what I did today with all the papers that I took off the fridge on Jan 1.
Well, that turned out to be a bit more long winded than I had anticipated. And I'm sure anyone reading this thinks I think way too much about my trash. So I'm thinking of expanding the idea of simplify to include the writing in future posts. (You're welcome)
Monday's here, and in addition to being my first day back at work after a 4 day weekend (I'm exhausted! Those stupid 4 day weekends have a way of lulling you into complacency so that work smacks you --BAM-- right between the eyes when you get back.) it's also time to check in on the progress of SHIT SLING 2009! (ok, that was just an early working title, I really call it simplify in my head. And on this blog. From here on out. Promise.) It's also blue, in my head, as well. (So sooooothing)
ANYWAY....
I had some idea that I would weigh all the crap I was getting rid of so that on December 31, I could say: "I got rid of 3000 pounds of unwanted stuff this year." But I don't have a scale. And buying a scale would entail bringing more stuff INTO the house rather than out. That's counterproductive. I nixed that idea and just took a picture. My camera is really starting to suck. Maybe I need to get a new one. Wait, NO! (See, that's why I need to DO this! Focus! Simplify. (So soothing)
Jan 1: I started in the kitchen because that's just the perfect place to start. I needed to clean out the fridge anyway to make room for my healthy food I'm gonna exclusively eat this year. I threw out two bags of non recyclable trash from food containers and such.
Jan 2: Laundry day! 2 loads of laundry, 2 articles of clothing to donate. A pair of capri length sweatpants. Why the heck do I even own those? I'm too short for capri length anything. They look like high waters. And they're sweatpants! Then I eighty sixed a pair of brown cords. I have 4 pairs of brown cords. I don't need 4 pairs. Especially this pair --- high waisted and wide whale. What is this, 1985? Wow, the Goodwill is gonna jump for joy at my stylish castoffs.
Jan 3: Bottle returning day. I have all these saved plastic grocery bags around...in the kitchen, in the car, in the hall closet. I use them over and over again (you know, the reuse side of the triangle) until they are literally disgusting, dripping, ripped and mangled. As were the bags holding the bottles. I had to keep stopping and picking up the bottles that fell out of the bottom of the bag because it was too holey. But look! A bag recycling bin right next to the bottle machine. I think this little drop off will save my sanity. (and, yes, I use canvas bags now)
Jan 4: Chucked all the sponges in the house and replaced with others from the giant mountain of Costco sponges that resides under the sink.
Jan 5: Ok, other than bottles I can't do a whole lot of recycling here at the Garaje Mahal. K has a weird aversion to recycling. He thinks it's a government conspiracy or something. So when I want to recycle something other than bottles, I have to smuggle it into the bin at work. Which is what I did today with all the papers that I took off the fridge on Jan 1.
Well, that turned out to be a bit more long winded than I had anticipated. And I'm sure anyone reading this thinks I think way too much about my trash. So I'm thinking of expanding the idea of simplify to include the writing in future posts. (You're welcome)
4 comments:
Blue Simplify is perfect... though I have to admit that I'm also quite keen on Shit Sling!!
I like shit sling. I also like recycling. I think a LOT about my trash (I originally typed 'waste' but thought that might imply poo) as well. How to use MUCH less stuff.
One of my January goals (inspired by you) is to get rid of stuff! For each of the next three weekends, the architect & I will be going through our closets, our kitchen, our offices & our living room to get rid of stuff (recycle, donate, and, if deemed possible, sell).
Keep it up!
I love the idea. I have to also take it day by day, small project by small project!
Ha..shit sling. That's hilarious. :)
I think what you're doing is great. I seriously need to weed some stuff out of my closet. If it hasn't been worn in two years, it probably won't be.
And I too, purged my house of junk food this week. Now I have no choice but to eat the healthy stuff that I bought.
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